Chapter 27: Hoping the Spring Breeze Would Never Cease, Who Could Foresee the Secret Exposed

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The trumpet vine did not bow its head at the hint of rain; it simply had no wish to compete with the late spring sunlight.

After Cheng Heng’s suggestion that she go out more often, Guan Yin still had no desire to venture far. Since childhood, her world seemed to have revolved around home and school. To outsiders, the identities of dutiful daughter and schoolteacher appeared perfectly suited to her.

“Madam, shall we prop the trumpet vine up a little?” Seeing how it had no choice but to climb sideways, Guan Yin felt that its vitality was being buried. “We could set a bamboo pole here, or perhaps—”

“There is no need.”

“Hmm?”

Why was there no need? Guan Yin feared she had mistaken the variety of the plant. More than that, she feared the trumpet vine had reached the end of its life and would never produce another generation.

Only when she followed Liu Jiao’an’s pointing finger did she see the very tip of the vine: a tiny bud, no wider than a finger, had already reached the outer edge of the high wall. It proclaimed brightly that before long, the trumpet vine would find a wider world.

“Indeed, there is no need.”

The two women exchanged smiles, each holding her own hopes in her heart. Liu Jiao’an’s hopes rested solely upon the flower. Having watched it grow for several years, and having carried it in her memories since childhood, she wished only that it might flourish even more.

“Master Yin Yun?”

When a voice brimming with ill intent suddenly rang beside them, the two women were still gazing at the trumpet blossoms scattered upon the ground. Guan Yin had even stretched out her hand to touch the vine’s leaves.

Guan Yin recognized the voice. Its owner knew far too much about her. She frowned and turned to look. After thinking over the date, an ominous premonition suddenly took hold of her. She knew that whatever happened today would likely not end well.

“You…”

“What is it? Has Master Yin Yun forgotten me? We met only a few days ago.” The newcomer could clearly see her unease. A smile spread across his face, though it never reached his eyes.

He turned sideways and pointed toward the small house. It would hardly have been an exaggeration to say that the men behind him could bring down the already dilapidated structure with a single kick each.

“It was in this very house. Surely Master Yin Yun has not forgotten?”

He exchanged a glance with San Heng and signaled for him to take Liu Jiao’an inside. Only then did Guan Yin’s eyes settle fully upon the newcomer.

“I remember. But may I ask what brings you all here today?”

“Master Yin Yun’s compositions are sung throughout countless pleasure quarters and singing houses. Your reputation is known to no few people, and quite a number of young ladies admire a gifted scholar such as yourself. I imagine you have received more than a few love letters…” His smile deepened. “Only, I fear they know nothing of our Master Yin Yun…”

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Guan Yin had no idea whether the original Master Yin Yun’s identity was known to Liu Jiao’an. It was unlikely she could conceal the truth for long, but it certainly must not be exposed under such circumstances. Her entire body tensed, and the hand beneath her sleeve tightened slightly.

“What exactly are you trying to do?” Liu Jiao’an asked before Guan Yin could speak.

Guan Yin had not expected San Heng to leave Liu Jiao’an where she was instead of taking her inside. She herself was dressed as a man and did not belong to this world; in truth, she could afford not to care. But Liu Jiao’an was different.

The newcomer looked Liu Jiao’an over, then swept his gaze playfully between the two of them. The corners of his lips curled upward, fine lines bursting from the corners of his eyes.

“Nothing much.”

“Your compositions have cost us money, that is all. We merely wish to renegotiate our agreement.”

His tone softened for some inexplicable reason, but Guan Yin felt not the slightest relief. Whether it was the original Master Yin Yun’s identity or her own, nothing seemed capable of preventing this man from doing something to Liu Jiao’an.

Her arrival in this world had rendered Master Yin Yun’s compositions—once worth a fortune—nearly worthless. It seemed that, without realizing it, she had already altered history in a way that would be exceedingly difficult to reverse.

“How do you intend to renegotiate?”

During the brief pause in negotiations, Guan Yin repeatedly signaled to San Heng with her eyes. He could only respond with a bitter expression; clearly, he could not persuade his mistress.

In that instant, Guan Yin seemed to understand why Liu Jiao’an loved the trumpet vine on the fence so dearly.

It was no trumpet vine at all. It was Liu Jiao’an herself.

What appeared to be dependence was merely the helplessness imposed by the age in which she lived. Yet in the end, she still had to rely upon her own strength and search, little by little, for a wider world of her own.

“As for what we have already paid, we will not ask for it back. Consider it compensation for all these years of work.”

Guan Yin had heard Cheng Heng say that playwrights in the real world faced the same fate. Unless they reached the very top, they were forever paid the least and blamed the most. Perhaps things were no different here.

But when one lived beneath another’s roof, one had no choice but to bow one’s head.

Guan Yin nodded. “Very well.”

“Your recent compositions do not sound right when performed. Many listeners say that if they had not been waiting for your old works, they would have no desire to return. So from now on, you must write the pieces first. Only after someone pays for them will we hand you the silver.”

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“Very well.”

“And what if you refuse to pay?” Liu Jiao’an suddenly asked.

Her question did not frighten the people opposite her. Instead, it startled Guan Yin, who had been acting like a frightened quail, agreeing to every demand and hoping that retreating far enough would keep the peace.

Could she really speak so boldly without causing trouble?

“So this is Miss Liu? Indeed, you have the temperament of a woman willing to leave the residence of the great official Liu for the sake of love.”

“Still, I did not expect that after all this time, Madam’s ardent spirit would not have cooled. Your temper is as fiery as ever.” His words carried a pointed insinuation, and his gaze once again wandered between Guan Yin and Liu Jiao’an. “It seems Master Yin Yun has taken very good care of his wife. Even in a little house not much larger than a study, he has managed to indulge her.”

There was no goodwill in his eyes. Guan Yin shifted slightly, blocking his view of Liu Jiao’an.

“Enough of your insinuations. You have finished renegotiating the terms. What else do you have to say?”

“Oh? Master Yin Yun is truly protective of his wife!”

“But if I were you, Master Yin Yun, and truly loved her, I would let Madam find a better match. After all, Miss Liu has the standing afforded by her father, the great official Liu, as well as her own skill in embroidery, poetry, and letters. And with her exquisite hairpin-flower script, even if she divorced you, there would be no shortage of men eager to marry her.”

Guan Yin had thought of that possibility soon after arriving in this world, especially when she watched Liu Jiao’an leave early and return late each day while being unable to do anything to help. But she still had not untangled the complicated grievances and affections between the original Master Yin Yun and Liu Jiao’an. She did not feel entitled to make such a decision rashly.

“That is none of your concern.”

The two women spoke together. San Heng followed half a beat later.

“You truly are a family.” The newcomer smiled. “Rest assured. So long as there is nothing wrong with the compositions, you will not be shortchanged.”

He turned and glanced back at the barely orderly house. Guan Yin, Liu Jiao’an, and San Heng all understood.

This was not the time to fight over pride. Without money, they could not survive.